Method of knitting



Patented Nov. 9, 1943 METHOD OF KNITTING Eugene St. Pierre, Pawtucket, R. 1., asslgnor to Hemphlll Company, Central Falls, R. L, a corporation ofZMassachusetts Application November 2, 1938, Serial No. 238,462

2 Claims.

This case has to do with a novel fabric construction wherein elastic is incorporated in a plain knit fabric for the purpose of simulating a rib appearance and for rendering the fabric elastic in its general nature. Furthermore a new method of knitting is involved.

In the figures of drawing:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged viewshowing in a conventional manner a section of fabric knitted in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view showing a half hose in the top of which such fabric might be advantageously employed. 7

In United States Patent #2,131,720 an elastic fabric for similar purposes has been illustrated and claimed and this case involves certain improvements over the fabric of that case. Among the advantages to be obtained is that of knitting a wider fabric for a given diameter of needlecylinder and a similar amount of tension as applied to the elastic yarn. Other advantages will be apparent.

The fabric is knitted on a machine very similar to that employed to knit the fabric of the patent above mentioned and a very similar method of knitting is employed, however, one notable difference is that of feeding the elastic yarn in the initial or selvage course at one level and thereafter dropping said elastic yarn to feed at a different level, this necessitating only a slight change in the mechanism so as to give the elastic yarn feeding means at the auxiliary feed a capabilityof selectively assuming two different positions. The construction of the machine would involve a main feeding station, an auxiliary feeding station and needle selection at the auxiliary station whereby the needles taking yarn and knitting at that station will be raised to two different heights. This is generally termed a needle division and means for creating such division are so well known as to be unnecessary of-detailed explanation here. At the main feeding station a main yarn or yarns of usual characteristics will be fed to knit in the hooks of all theneedles.

The fabric of Fig. l is probably best explained by first indicating the method by which it is to be knitted. The yarn feeding means at the auxiliary side will be moved to a feeding position in which it will feed its elastic yarn to the hooks of divided needles only. In other words, for the first course this yarn is fed to those needles which are raised highest missing the hooks of intermediate needles which are not elevated to so great a height. These needles will pass be- 'neath a stitch cam at that auxiliary feed and will go through the step of drawing knitted loops of that elastic yarn, but it is to be realized that since the fabric is to be started in this fashion, no other loops were upon the needles, and thus the elastic is not drawn through anything so that the loops are merely temporarily drawn and then released at a subsequent point. As these needles have drawn the said elastic yarn and pass around to the main feeding station all of them will takea plain yarn such as cotton, silk, or other material, and will knit that plain yarn casting oil the elastic previously drawn. The result of this is that the elastic will be threaded through each sinker loop in a known fashion and will constitute along with the plain stitches, a selvage.

0n the next revolution of the machine the elastic yarn feeding means is dropped to a-lower position in which it will feed to the hooks of all the needles although these needles are still presented for taking the elastic yarn in accordance with the same needle division previously existing. The elastic will not be fed beneath the latches of any of these needles. The stitch cam at this auxiliary feed is 'still in butt engaging position and will immediately draw all needles downwardly to draw stitches of this elastic yarn which was just fed. The, stitches drawn from the plain yarn at the main feed were, of course, still on the needle shanks, but were cleared or passed below the latches only of those needles which were raised or divided to the higher position. The result at this particular point is that those needles raised to a higher position. and upon which the plain yarn stitches were cleared will immediately draw the loops of elastic yarn through the last drawn stitches of plain yarn. The intermediate needles, those divided to the lower position, not having cleared their latches of the previously drawn plain loops, will merely take the elastic yarn in their hooks and will hold it in addition to those previously drawn stitches of plain yarn. In other wordsthose needles divided to the lower position are merely loadingup with two loops, one of plain yarn and one of elastic yarn, and

will be knitting something very similar to a tuck stitch.

Now as these needles pass around to the main feeding station they will again take the plain yarn just as in the previous instance. 0n the needles which had been raised to a higher position at the auxiliary feed, stitches of plain yarn will merely be knitted through the last knitted loops of elastic. The intermediate needles, those divided to the lower position, will knit their plain yar'n loops through both a previously drawn loop ing has been made of the fabric wherein the elastic yarn l fed at the auxiliary side is shown in the initial course of plain yarn 2, passing through each sinker loop of that course. For purposes of illustration, wales numbered 3, 5, I, 9 andll are those knitted by every other or alternate needles such as were separated or divided to be raised to the higher position at the auxiliary feed. The intermediate wales I, 6, 8 and III are thos knitted by the so-called intermediate needles which are raised to the lower elevation at the auxiliary side. Following down wale 3, the loop I2 is theflrst loop of plain yarn drawn at the main side. That loop is,.cast offat the auxiliary side as the-next'loop, a loop of elastic yarn, at I3, is drawn at the auxiliary side. At

. the wale I, and other even numbered wales the loop H is drawn in the first course knitted at the main side and the loop I5, which appears more or less as a sort of float held between the needle loop I and the sinker loops and I1,

is that elastic yarn which is taken in the hook along with the loop H at the auxiliary side. There is no knitting nor any clearing of the latch at the auxiliary side on these even numbered needles so that the loops H and I5 are merely held until they. are cleared and cast off upon the knitting of loop I I on the next course at the main side; While the first course of elastic yarn at the selvage is shown in a sort of sinuous path, tension would presumably be such as to straighten this yarn as it was cast from the needle. The kinks are shown at 3, 5, etc., merely to show which needles take that yarn. Furthermore, the. loops I 3 would be much smaller than. indicated since the elastic is knitted under some tension and those loops would contract more or less. Depending upon the contraction of the loops l3 and a possible robbing of loops I2 to draw out loops l4 and IS, the loops I8 would be shorter in actual practice than has been illustrated in this conventional showing. Obviously, the amount of tension, the ti htness of stitch and other considerations would make considerable difference in the relative size of loops and in the ultimate ap earance of the fabric.

For general purposes such as knitting mock rib. garter tops on stockings, the elastic is fed under a li ht tension. one merely sufficient to assure satisfactory knitting and a suitable retaining effect for the garter. The loops i5 take the place of actual floats in the previously patented fabric and thus are held between sinker and needle loops so that the fabric is somewhat smoother at this point. The contraction will normally be slightly less so that a fuller or wider fabric is knitted for a given amount of tension and for a knitting machine of a given size.

In Fig. 2, a half hose is illustrated having the usual leg 19, foot 20, heel 2| and toe 22. The stocking top 23 is knitted in conformity with the invention described with respect to Fig. 1 wherein the wales 3, 5, 1, etc., are drawn to the inner side of the fabric and wales 4, 8, 8, etc., are forced to the front or outer side to produce a rib-like appearance. The stitches I! prevent an excessive corrugation of the fabric and tend to retain it in flatter form. This elastic top may be knitted with varying degrees of tightness in accordance with the appearance desired and the retaining charcteristics sought. The fact that the fabric is flatter and does not contract to so great a de- This'fabric may be used in the form herein illustrated, that is, as a plain top, or may be employed in such tops as knitted in childrens hosiery being supplemented by wrap patterns.

-The wrap yarns are to be knitted on any desired needles and in any desired number of courses and in a manner such as describe'd in the United States Patent 2,131,720. Other types of ornamentation such as horizontal striping. plating and reverse plating, etc., maybe knitted in con junction with the elastic.

The invention is defined in the following claims. I

I claim: e

1. A method of knitting a stocking top including the steps of feeding an elastic yarn to alternate needles of a series at one feed of 'a plain, multi-feed knitting machine, feeding a plain yam immediately thereafter at a separate feeding station and knitting said plain yarn on all needles so that the elastic'is cast 0! to be held by sinker wales of an initialjcourse, thereafter feeding the elastic to the hooks of all needles and knitting it on alternate needles only, tucking the same on intermediate needles and knitting plain yarn through theseknitted elastic stitches and it will be taken by hooks of all needles but knit- 

